Greg Zyla: Emmy-winning journalist loves his Roadmaster Wagon

Greg Zyla

Monday

Jul 30, 2012 at 12:01 AMJul 30, 2012 at 12:41 AM

Greg, loved your report on the 1990s Roadmasters. Great stuff! My wife and I own one, and it has become something of a celebrity in Connecticut. It’s been shown on television, and I blog about it now and then. All the best, Dennis House.

Q: Greg, loved your report on the 1990s Roadmasters. Great stuff! My wife and I own one, and it has become something of a celebrity in Connecticut. It’s been shown on television, and I blog about it now and then (see http://dennishouse.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/reason-742-to-own-a-buick-roadmaster). All the best, Dennis House.

A: Dennis, you have made your Roadmaster Wagon a celebrity because it deserves to be a celebrity! These grand, large wagons from GM were fully capable, roomy "movers and doer" that to this day are prized possessions for those who have kept them in shape. Thanks for sharing with our readers how you incorporate your Buick Roadmaster "master of the road" into your blogs and television reports. Make sure you keep that Buick Roadmaster and thanks for the nice words. (Author note: Dennis is a native New Englander and an Emmy award-winning journalist. He is the anchor for WFSB-TV (CBS) Eyewitness News in the Hartford/New Haven market.)

409 memories

Greg, one of my friends bought a used '63 Impala convertible 409 with dual quads. It was finished in Honduras maroon, and he selected it over a '63 coupe. My friend decided he could pick up more girls with the Impala (of course he was right), than with the coupe.

While we did not know a lot about cars mechanically, it must have had either 3.23 gear set or 3.08s in the back as it took forever to wind up. After 60 mph or so, it seemed to do OK. It was a fairly heavy car too, but the convertible was fun.

Soon, he went into the Marines and the car got put away. He told me to take it out every now and then and run it. Eventually, I got to know the car well, thus my idea's about the rear end gear set.

When my friend came home from Saudi Arabia, he brought a '49 MG with him that had wooden floors. We worked on that car for a while and in reality should have had it appraised and should have had both of them restored by a pro in a proper shop. The things we learn. Keep up the great stories.

A: Thanks, Jeff, it sure sounds like that 409 had the high rear end gears, as most will turn up quickly with 3.73 and lower (higher numerically) ratios. My friend had a '62 409/409 coupe with 4.56s, and it ran in the low 13s in the quarter mile.

Greg Zyla writes weekly for GateHouse Media and welcomes reader input on anything to do with nostalgia cars and old-time motorsports at 303 Roosevelt St., Sayre, PA 18840 or at greg@gregzyla.com.

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